Saturday, January 28, 2012

A Unit of Study Unites Us

(Continued from Thursday . . . )

The students and I settled down for the year. I quickly discovered that about the same number had difficulty with reading as in other grade-school classes I’d taught. About the same number were good in math or science or any subject we tackled. A few were avid readers. Several showed an intellectual curiosity I’d met before. Conclusion: these students were just like all those I’d taught. Only . . . and this only was big . . . only they were poor and destitute.

They had no books, magazines, or newspapers in their homes to read. They hadn’t been to a library, museum, or art gallery. Some had never been in a movie theater. They had no money to ride public transportation so their world was the neighborhood of the inner city. That is to say, they seldom, if ever, got out of its confines. Some had never seen the downtown area of Dayton, so they’d never visited a department store.

As the weeks passed, one thing became clear: I’d been educated in white schools. I’d studied white textbooks. I’d been taught about white inventors, presidents, entrepreneurs, explorers, kings. I learned the history of the conquerors—who were white.

I had no stories to tell about black men and women. About black history. I had no stories to tell about people—black or white—who’d grown up in poverty. I was ignorant of any history that went beyond the exploits of whites. I knew nothing about the culture of the black community or that of poverty.

So together the students and I set out to learn. Together we devised a unit on the Underground Railroad. This appealed to all the students—both black and white—because the story of slaves escaping the South held suspense, creativity, cunning, danger.

Harriet Tubman

I introduced the topic by talking about Harriet Tubman, the famous Underground “conductor.” None of the students had ever heard about this “network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. . . .The Underground Railroad was at its height between 1850 and 1860. One estimate suggests that by 1850, 100,000 slaves had escaped via the ‘Railroad.’” (from Wikipedia)

The unit the students and I devised enabled us to use all the subjects in our curriculum. To incorporate all subjects, the students did the following:

·estimated mileage from various southern states to Canada

·wrote messages using the terminology of the railroad, which served as a metaphor for the escape routes

·devised codes so as to follow the cryptic messages of escape

·studied the role Dayton and the state of Ohio played in the Underground Railroad

·drew pictures of the flora and fauna of all the southern states and the northern escape routes

·learned the names of the constellations and where they were in the night sky during the four seasons of the year

·wrote and performed plays about escaping along the Underground Railroad

·studied the lives of abolitionists like Frederick Douglass, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Harriet Beecher Stowe

·wrote short stories about the life and adventures of Harriet Tubman

·drew maps of escape routes and illustrated them with the flora and fauna along the way

·and more . . .

Map detailing the Underground Railroad escape routes.

For my part, I had to spend evenings at the local library trying to find out all I could about the Underground Railroad. This was difficult because publishers were only beginning to realize that the United States was ready for books about black history. As I learned more, I was better able to inspire the students to think of new things we could study.

Of course to do all that we did, the students needed reference books. I checked out as many as the local library allowed. I also encouraged students to get a free library card and check out books. Many did. The school itself had a small library with a worn set of encyclopedia. The students toted these up to our classroom for daily work.

Months passed while we worked on this unit. Afterward, I wrote an article for a leading educational magazine about it. With the fee from that, I bought a book for each student to take home and read. This in itself was a lesson for them: The work they did in school could lead to making money and that money could be spent on books. And of course that first unit of study led us to devising a second, on the inner city and life in Dayton in 1968-69.

On Tuesday I’ll share with you how the students inspired me.

(Continued on Tuesday . . . )

Both illustrations are from the Wikipedia topic “The Underground Railroad.”

48 comments:

Dee, this is both fascinating and deeply impressive. How lucky those students of yours were to have such a gifted and inspiring teacher who encouraged them to work and learn and who tried so hard to broaden their horizons. I think some of them will never have forgotten you.

Dear Perpetua,Thank you for your kind words. I did try to broaden their horizons and in Tuesday's posting I'd share with you a little more about that happened. I don't know if any of them remember me--they would be about 55 now. But I surely remember them.They were a blessing in my life.

Not only are you remarkable as a human being, but you clearly have a gift for teaching and inspiring! I can imagine the hours f research, thought, planning and preparation this unit must have demanded from you. Today, with our easy, instant access to information would have greatly simplified your task.

Dear Desiree,Thank you. Several psychics have told me that I "was born to be a teacher." My superiors in the convent told me I was "a born teacher." Yet I doubt if I'd ever have thought of teaching had I not entered an order of nuns that taught. I entered to pray, not to teach!

Yes. Things have changed dramatically in the last 42 years. I so hope that this means teachers and students are better able to discover new information that will help them realize their own worth.

Oh dear, I had not completed my comment. I wanted to add to and edit what I'd typed, but blogger froze up on me as it has been doing of late and I accidentally touched the publish key. I had also intended to mention just how much I am enjoying these posts from your teaching days. You write always with so much integrity.

Dear Desiree,What a lovely compliment. Thank you. These posts just happen to be about teaching. I started out this series by writing about social justice. That led to these posting on teaching. Soon we'll be talking about the Vietnam War and AIDS and animal rights!

What a wonderful teacher you are! Still today, you are teaching and inspiring your subject (me!). I knew about the Underground Railroad from books and stories, but it was never ever taught in school. I went to five different high schools before graduating (my father was in the Air Force) and we learned about Texas history but never anything about the Railroad.

And today the only thing I remember from those days is a saying" Fifty-four-forty or Fight!" about the dispute between the US and Canada regarding the northern border. I live very near there today. What if I had been graced with a teacher like you?

Dear DJan,Thank you for telling me that I'm still teaching. But please know that you teach me about hiking and sky diving and the Pacific Northwest. All of us have experience to share with others. That's the wonder of this blogging world!

I wish I had been taught more than the typical "white" history--which is also "colored" by opinion (pardon the pun). Even the white history we were taught was biased and narrow.

I can't imagine how anyone could be bored learning these days with all the information available online on almost any topic you can think of! It is so easy to get lost reading websites...devouring information. You have to learn to discern and pick and choose reliability, but...wow! Mind blowing!

What a wonderful teacher you were--and ahead of your time! I would have adored you! I bet you inspired many young minds to love learning!! Can hardly wait to read the next installment. :):)

Dear Rita,Like you, I wish that I'd had a truly well-rounded education in which I learned a full history of the United States, from many viewpoints, not just that of whites. The wonder of growing older is that we have all these years to learn more and more and more. The world's expanding every day for me.

My dear Dee, how much more you were able to give to those around you outside the confines of the convent.I admire you and salute your courage and determination. I am certain that you inspired your students as much as they inspired you and I am also certain that many of them remember you with gratitude.

Dear Friko,I do think that I've had experiences I wouldn't have had if I'd stayed in the convent at least for the first ten years or so. But since the mid-70s the nuns have been truly committed to social justice. They engage in many aspects of that. I've come to admire them anew for their fortitude and perseverance. Nuns in the United States have spoken out forcefully on most of the major issues of the day.

Dear Dee, so many thoughts come to mind:If you did nothing else with your life, having done this, would have made it a worthwhile life.What a wonderful teacher you are. The flora and fauna along the Underground Railroad routes, who would even think about that? I wonder how many students you inspired and helped to a better life out of poverty.So many young black kids of today have no idea about what we did back in the 1960s, where their freedom came from, who fought and died so they could have a better life. And I wonder how many know about the underground railroad, the inventions made by black people, the wonderful poets, educators, authors, and on and on. I wonder why now, in 2012, these kids are not taught this. Or maybe I know why. Looking forward to the continuation. I wish you would write a book about this. You are a wonderful writer.

Dear Inger,Thank you for your belief in my teaching. I really haven't spent time in any schools for the last ten years. Previous to that, I taught professional editing at a college level for ten years. During the late '80s and throughout the '90s, I also spent time in grade and high-school classrooms because I was writing various curriculum and needed to know what kind of questions the students asked and what they were interested in. I've had a wonderful career.

Your students learned that they could love learning, that it would enrich their lives, that they had a history to take pride in and that you valued them -- This series of posts about your teaching experience are precious to me and I am so grateful to you for sharing with us.

Dear Broad,Thank you. Of what you mentioned, I think the most important thing we can bring to the classroom is respect for the students there. It is my firm belief that we must approach all people as if we were Moses standing before the burning bush. Before such glory, he took off his sandals. And that's how we need to approach students and all people we meet--as if they are the incarnation of divinity. And they are! We need to stand humbled and barefooted before them.

I'm sure you touched the lives of those students more than you can ever know, Dee. I'm so impressed by your ingenuity and commitment to making education truly relevant to their lives. You've inspired me already -- and I can hardly wait to hear how these students inspired you!

Dear Kathy,I was taught in grade and high-school by the Sisters of Mercy. They were outstanding teachers. Then in college, taught by the Benedictines, I had other teachers who touched and changed my life. So I've the advantages of being taught how to teach by the example of others.

How I wish I could have had you as my teacher--but, than again, you are teaching me NOW! It is wonderful to read about how the students were inspired to learn when you made history relevant to their lives--& how much you taught each other.

You were and are an inspirational teacher. I suspect that this is at least partly true because you don't assume omnipotence. Since you are willing to learn it sets a wonderful example for others. I have no doubt that you shine in the memory of many if not all of those you taught. Thank you for continuing to teach, and enabling us to continue to learn.

Dear EC,I can't imagine assuming "omnipotence." I too filled with cracks and fissures and flaws to do so. I think you've put your finger on something with the idea that being "willing to learn" makes a difference. That and respect, I think, can make all the difference.

Dear Dee,An inspiring post! I love how you literally "made lemonade from lemons" in the sense that you assessed what you had, and built something great. You were ahead of your time, and your students were moved and changed due to your perseverance and willingness to teach outside the box. What an awesome unit of study you designed.

I agree with someone who wrote earlier, you should write a book about your teaching experience. It would be inspiring and enlightening for teachers, and others, today.

Dear Sandi,Your words really touched me because I so admire your teaching and your dedication to your students. I'm surprised that you and Inger are suggesting I write a book. It's never occurred to me that anyone might be interested in my teaching.Thank you.

I still recall learning about the Underground Railroad when I was in school. It so intrigued me. What a great gift you gave them, not only of learning about this essential aspect of our country's history, but also what a huge difference one person can make by setting in motion life-changing events. Like you did, teaching them about it all those years later, the lessons we should never forget, and the invaluable nature of books.

Dear Teresa,As you say, "the invaluable nature of books." They open, expand, explain our world. Back in the '40s and '50s we never studied the Underground Railroad or anything really about slavery and racism. Our education was sorely lacking in that respect.

This is simply wonderful! During my blog tour, I wrote a guest post called "Finding the STORY in HiSTORY. That's what you've done here - made history interesting and exciting - which is what it is! Filled with secrets and plots and heroes and villians and mysteries. Well done!

This is how teaching should be, Dee; about the lives we live and how we are part of the larger circle of history. You incorporated all subject matter, from math to science, ecology and literature and brought the Underground Railroad alive for all your students. I'm afraid that teachers and students both inner city and suburbia don't have the time for this kind of learning any more with the advent of teaching to the test. Sad.

I'm sure many of your students remember you and these lessons and that some went on to better lives. I look forward, as always, to your next chapter, Dee.

I don't know if you were reading me yet, but, I did do a post on a grist mill a few miles from us here near Chicago that was a station on the Underground Railroad. It is a fascinating spot and a field trip destination for many schools in the area.

Dear Penny,I couldn't agree more. This whole thing about learning to pass a test is an exercise in trivia. We need to help students and one another learn how to think and reason, predict and anticipate.

Yes, I was reading your blog when you posted on that grist mill. In fact, it was that post that recalled this unit of study to me and also that brought forth my return to your blog!

Absolutely fantastic! I love that you thought about the lessons that would be culturally relevant to them. I suspect many of those children were forever changed by having you as their teacher that year.

I'm just about to start teaching about Harriet Tubman myself...you have some fun ideas. Your post reminds me of how we all live in our 'bubble', and how important it is to keep perspective and point of view in the forefront of whatever we do.

Dear Jennifer,I'm so glad that you are teaching your students about Harriet Tubman and I'm pleased that you found my ideas on teaching the Underground Railroad "fun." I think the students in that inner-city classroom did enjoy our learning. Good luck with Harriet!

Truly inspirational and pioneering work! These students will forever be grateful, Dee. I grew up in a city that was and is steeped with 'systemic racism'. A lot of the same measures that you pioneered back in the 60's are now used regularly here as well. Only problem/hurdle that still remains is that a lot of people in power can't see that racism still exists and is so ingrained in our culture that when visible minorities are given these 'teaching aids' on culture etc. they (the 'powers' that be) feel that this is suffice and they have done their job to address the 'situation'. I guess change is slow to come to directly effect the lives of individuals who really need a solid education.Great posts Dee! I really appreciate this dialogue.

Dear Jim,So glad you've stopped by to share your own experiences. Racism hasn't gone away. It's clearly still present in everyday life here in the United States and I would guess elsewhere. Change does seem to happen so slowly. I hope that those people who live in the 22nd century will read history books that can delineate the rise, the decline, and the end of racism in our country. I do think that many more years will pass before its vestiges have disappeared. This country has paid and is paying a high price for keeping racism alive.

Like you, I appreciate this dialogue between us and the other readers.

I am late to the party, as usual.One thing stuck out while reading this...have you thought about being a guest lecturer/teacher on this topic in schools now? I think your way of teaching is a forgotten art. Peanut has great teachers in school, don't get me wrong...but the passion you showed those kids was quite remarkable!

About Me

Since childhood, I've wanted to be a published writer. That's happened for me, and now I long to be a published novelist. I don't know if that will ever happen. I can only trust that Oneness will bless my life.
What I've learned in a long life is that being published is simply the creamy frosting on the carrot cake. It's the craft of writing that gives me sustenance—it's both the layered cake and the lasting contentment.